ORANGE BAY, Hanover — From his boyhood days, 60-year-old Floyd Grant has been obsessed with the idea of establishing a food processing plant. A lack of funding, however, has prevented him from realising this dream.

Currently, he says, a capital injection of $500,000 would get the business venture which he estimates can yield between US$15 million and US$20 million annually on a path of growth and development hence his appeal to Government and corporate Jamaica to partner with him.

Grant’s forceful drive for preserving food was spurred while growing up as a boy in his native Orange Bay, a quiet farming community in Hanover, where he experienced a noticeable shortage of fruits after a short-lived harvesting season.

“I came up with the idea after I asked myself why we have fruits for only six weeks. After six weeks you have to wait a year again. I said to myself, I have to find a way how the fruits can stay with us, not only the juice,” Grant remarked passionately.

He recounted that he studied his father who used to “dry the rice and corn” he planted, and so he endeavoured to replicate the process using mangoes.

His enthusiasm for preserving fruits heightened during home economic classes at his alma mater, the then Green Island Secondary, where he successfully participated in culinary competitions.

He was further encouraged during his 28 years as a chef in the hotel industry, during which time he carried out research in food processing.

Grant proudly noted that he has steadily mastered the art of concocting baked and jerked products with the use of fruits.

“Some of the end products are baked, some of the end products you get them in natural form. So in the off- mango season we can still provide you with mangoes that you can eat. Let’s say guava, we have a method of processing the guavas because you know that guavas can spoil within days, so we can process it and you can munch on it when you are watching TV, like we do with peanuts or whatever,” a smiling Grant told the Jamaica Observer West.

The highly emotional Grant said he made reference to how he could preserve large mangoes which can be used as a substitute for chicken.

“I have a method by which I can substitute mangoes for raisins and fruits. I can also process it, and it can be substituted for chicken. If you are a vegetarian, I can process it and make it look like chicken,” said Grant, adding that he has a point to prove to his detractors who thought he was stupid.

“I can make ripe banana extracts, make 34 different items from bananas, including banana cake, banana chips, jerked banana chips, dressings, jams and jellies.”

During a tour of his business establishment in Orange Bay, which is furnished with a number of large industrial ovens and other equipment, incrementally accumulated, Grant put on display grapefruit skins which he claims are five years old as well as melon skins which he reportedly has been curing for over six years.

“Grapefruit skins can be substituted for mixed peels,” he pointed out.

He further noted: “It can’t spoil, we use a little alcohol, rum or ginger, and pimento. Fruits like the guava can be prepared for more than three years and is still stiff and crunchy. If you want to make drinks just throw hot water on it and all the aroma comes up. And it doesn’t cost anything much to preserve it. When the sun is shining we put it out there for an hour, so the ultraviolet rays of the sun, helps to preserve it.”

Grant, who is currently pursuing a course at the HEART Trust/NTA in entrepreneurship, says he is convinced that his products have a place in the natural food market.

“Mi hear people a say you must go research your market, in Jamaica that don’t work. The market is how you make it. Basically the market is out there already,” he reasoned.

“All I need now is funding to expand the facility from where I am currently operating on a small and inconsistent scale.”